PURPOSE: To study the quality of life (QOL) of heart transplant (HTX) patients (pts) from a broad physiologic/psychosocial perspective during the pre-op and 5-year post-transplant periods, in order to: (1) assess what their QOL is like at major points in the illness; (2) see how QOL changes over time; (3) identify what factors predict QOL over time; (4) examine age/gender differences in 5 QOL outcomes: survival, functional status, work ability, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with the transplant. HYPOTHESES: (1) HTX pts will improve in multiple physical/psychosocial parameters from pre-op to short-term and long-term post-HTX; (2) female and older pts will have worse QOL outcomes; (3) better QOL outcomes will be found in pts who have: less symptoms, less stress, more positive coping, more satisfying social support, less difficulty complying with the regimen, more positive perception of HTX team interventions, fewer complications, less days hospitalized, and better physiologic indices. OBJECTIVES: (1) continue to enroll new pts to increase the N for multivariate analysis for the later time periods; (2) continue to follow those pts who have not been transplanted yet due to the long wait for a hear; (3) continue to follow those pts who have been transplanted but who have not yet completed the 5-year post-HTX follow-up. Sites are Loyola U/Chicago & U of Alabama/Birmingham. Thus far, 265 pts have been enrolled in the pre-op study phase (25% died, 49% transplanted); 41 pts are in the long-term follow-up (1-5 years post-HTX). Over 1200 data booklets have been done so far. VARIABLES: survival, physical/psychosocial functional status, work ability, physiologic indices, medical history, medications, complications, symptoms, compliance, stress, coping, social support, helpfulness of HTX team interventions, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with the transplant. Analysis will consist of: hierarchical regression, MANOVA, repeated-measures MANOVA/MANOCOVA, Cox survival analysis. IMPLICATIONS: (1) documents the benefits/liabilities of HTX over the long- term; (2) identifies the trade-offs between QOL and prolonged quantity of life; (3) provides data to improve pt care; (4) identifies risk factors for worse QOL outcomes; (5) provides data to facilitate pt decisions about HTX.